sixth grade: Updates Below

All of the most recent important information will be included on this page, but feel free to explore the other sections for past and upcoming units/activities/etc. Previous newsletters can be found above or via the following link:http://chpcs6thgrade.weebly.com/newsletters.html-

week 5 in 6th grade

Greetings again!

There is a lot that occurs in 6th grade. Students begin to move into a middle school world with higher expectations, their minds expand, their bodies change, they develop new levels of emotional intelligence and maturity, etc. Sixth grade is about meeting expectations, deadlines, and basic requirements. There aren't many jobs or opportunities for people who aren't willing to/can't do what's asked of them within the assigned time frame!

Please always feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about your student or my class. Even better, if it is student-related, please work with your child and help teach them the skills to advocate for themselves and their needs! This is the perfect developmental age to begin allowing students to provide their own explanations and "excuses" for their work. If you know you'll be trying this but aren't sure about your child's follow-through, you can always send me a quick note, giving me a heads-up to expect to hear from them. It may seem counter-intuitive, but growing up is a team effort!

Copy Our Final Drafts, Please!I have some final drafts of student work that I would like copies of. If you have time when you come in the morning or after school, let me know and I'll show you where they are and give you the code to the copy machine!

Website- More Updates http://chpcs6thgrade.weebly.com/If you visit my website/blog you will see that I have been adding new pages, details, reference material, etc. Below are some pieces that have been updated:

Riggs list- Our daily Riggs words are listed by day assigned. They are also marked as common, core knowledge, or Greek/Latin root words. Useful for studying or when someone forgot their paper at school!

Math assignments- Your students are receiving passwords and usernames to log onto a virtual version of their Course 2 book. Students in other course levels should be able to attain similar information from their instructors. I am also updating this page with lessons and the days they were assigned. This is useful for keeping track of what lessons were covered and when!

Writing sources- The writing tab, located within language arts, includes some reminders about our different writing units and dress ups. I will also be uploading source texts used in class. This will be useful when someone forgot their paper at school!

Major Topics- Science, Social Studies, and other topics will continue to be updated as we move throughout the year. At the moment you can look here to find key points listed for 6th grade units of study.

Other pages- I also have a resource page for Improv games, Ukulele music, and Ocarina tabs. Please note that these resources are borrowed from other webpages, and don't allow your students to surf the internet unsupervised!

Project Days- Greek Food Success and Amphitheater Ground-breaking

Our first big project/event was a success! Today we made four different types of Greek appetizers. Ask your child what we made, what was their favorite, etc. I bet they can help you make these tasty snacks at home! We owe a big thank-you to Mrs. Shepard and Mr. Paulk for helping make food, and another thank you to Mrs. Dodson for doing our shopping. Thank you!

Mr. Stores kindly dug out our foundation for the Greek amphitheater today. We will tackle this task next Wednesday and Thursday afternoon (2 to 3:30 pm). We could use some extra hands and eyes for supervision!

We are currently waiting for responses to our request for material donations. Our goal is to have Trojan horse supplies and other tools arriving Monday so that we know what else needs to be donated/purchased. We will also need to pick up and haul our load of stones and dirt.

Want to help, but don't want to get dirty? Come help us supervise an art station during this time! We want students to create a mural of Greek mythology!

Gradebook- Scale Rubric and Progress Reports

Progress Reports- Last week I sent a quick check-in e-mail to each family. This was designed to give you a glance at your child's overall performance in class. Our grade book (Synergy) should be up and running soon. Ideally you will have access to your child's grade book online, so that you will always know how their grades and performance. Meanwhile I will occasionally update you like I did last week.

Rubric- We use a rubric scoring system at Cascade Heights. Here's a rough description of what each score means:

1: Struggling to show mastery/understanding, even with assistance2: Approaching mastery/understanding; may omit one or two central concepts3: At grade-level mastery/understanding; may omit one or two less important concepts4: Exceeds grade-level mastery/understanding; not only meets grade-level, but provides additional information, reveals deeper understanding.

MAP testingWe begin MAP testing in October. Keep your eyes open for more updates on testing dates and times. It is important that students be well-rested and well-fed on test days. This optimizes their performance and gives us a good understanding of where they are academically.

Meeting with Mr. VieiraWant to meet with me? Send me an e-mail! Ask for a time! I'm always willing to meet with parents. Please note that after school is generally the best time for me.

Pictures Available- Access to School Pictures OnlineParents will be able to view and order photos starting on Monday 9/29/14 through Sunday 10/05/14. You will need the login information provided in my most recent e-mail update.

Choose the image(s) you like most, and place your order no later than Sunday, October 5th.Please email help@aomephotography.com if you have questions or technical issues. ALSO: Please note that families who qualified for FARM receive a discount on their pictures. Please contact Mrs. Marlatt and she can give you the special code to enter when checking out.